Living on the costa

The National Police has dismantled a family clan in Estepona dedicated to the sexual exploitation of women at a local address.

The agents have arrested four peopleamong them a marriage and a son -of the marital relationship- together with his partner sentimental, all for their alleged participation in the crimes of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation, related to prostitution, drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organization.

Likewise, the agents have released four women, who were held in the house and they were forced and coerced to practice prostitution under strict control and in an overcrowded situation, the National Police have indicated in a statement.

Finally, in a registration in the propertyresearchers have intervened different types of drugs prepared for sale, substances that enhance sexual relations, a precision scale, 10,690 euros in cash and various documentation, the National Police explained in a statement.

The ‘Operation Fado’, which has been carried out by agents assigned to the Local Immigration and Borders Brigade of the Estepona Police Station, It started with some information that pointed out how in a home in the town of Malaga its residents forced women to engage in prostitution against their will.

This is how the researchers began the investigation, which led to the identification of members of a family clan with record for crimes of the same nature in Spain and Portugal, including the arrest of its members only a few years ago in Marbella.

Thus, continuing with the investigations, the agents learned that the plot captured the victims through tricks and that he even attracted girls with fake accommodation offers via Internet.

The members of the organization exercised a tight control over victimswho did not have free access to food nor could they go out or access certain rooms in the house, taking advantage of their economic needs and their situation of vulnerability to force and coerce them into prostitution.

The police investigation culminated in the Entry diligence and search at the investigated addressauthorized by the Investigating Court on duty in Estepona, proceeding to the arrest of the four members of the organization, as well as the release of as many other women.

Different types of narcotic substances prepared for sale were seized in the house -18 plastic bags containing cocaine, four wrappers with hashish, a wrapper with marijuana buds and a container containing ‘pink cocaine’-; a precision balance; €10,690 in cash; intercourse-enhancing substances and diverse documentation. They also collected clear evidence of the overcrowding of women in rooms where they could not perform their basic needs.

The National Police has the telephone line 900 10 50 90 and an e-mail address: tú@policia.es to facilitate citizen collaboration and anonymous and confidential reporting of this type of crime, the call not being reflected in the telephone bill.